Green Fee Advisory Council now accepting project ideas, suggestions from public

Green Fee Advisory Council is now accepting ideas from the public for projects that could receive “green fee” funding.

Ideas and suggestions can be submitted via the council website.

Information about the potential project for each idea — including but not limited to impact area(s), cost, geography and potential partnerships with local government agencies — is required.

Click here to preview the full list of questions.

The green fee is a 0.75% surcharge on visitor accommodations that starts in 2026 — it raises the state’s transient accommodations tax to 11%.

Visitors already pay an additional 3% transient accommodations tax on their hotel stays, cruise ship cabins and short-term rentals to the counties.

Hawai’i became the first state in the nation to enact such a climate-linked “green fee,” which was signed into law in May by Gov. Josh Green.

Officials estimate it could raise about $100 million each year, which a portion will be used for the state’s future response to disasters such as the 2023 deadly Lahaina, Maui, wildfire that killed more than 100 people.

Green Fee Advisory Council highly values the decades of work Hawaiʻi residents, nonprofits, community organizations and companies invested in conservation, resilience and sustainable tourism, as well as the resulting insight and depth of knowledge contained in these areas.

“We’re eager to hear from community members about what kinds of initiatives they would like to see green fee funds support,” said Green Fee Advisory Council Chairman Jeff Mikulina in announcing the public comment period. “At the same time, it’s important that everyone understand that this part of the process does not represent a formal request for proposals, request for information or letter of intent and is not a pathway to receive funding,”

Green Fee funds can only be used for three purposes:

• Natural resource enhancement (environmental stewardship).
• Infrastructure resilience and hazard mitigation.
• Visitor impact mitigation and experience (sustainable tourism).

Funds must be appropriated to state agencies or counties that can then partner with other local organizations to execute projects.

“[Green Fee Advisory Council’s] role is to evaluate and make funding priority recommendations through the governor’s executive supplemental budget; however, the Legislature will make the final appropriations decisions,” Mikulina added.

Green Fee Advisory Council is also in the process of developing criteria for evaluating funding priorities and will share criteria with the public once it is complete.

The project ideas portal on the council website will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Nov. 1.